Tender Mercies

Bruce Beresford’s Tender Mercies is the film that brought Tess Harper to the big screen—and garnered her a Golden Globe nomination as the widowed Rosa Lee, who falls in love with alcoholic, country-singing legend Mac Sledge (Robert Duvall). Harper immediately reveals the kind of innate, understated intelligence that has marked her entire career. Her portrayal of Rosa Lee is a wondrous thing to behold in its subtle shadings—and, bear in mind, she’s holding her own against Robert Duvall. It’s also a performance that perfectly suits the tone of the film itself, which keeps everything magnificently real by playing just below the surface. The genius of the film lies in two things: constantly heading in the direction of melodrama, only to veer away from it at the last minute, all the while suggesting the emotions of its main characters rather than stating them. The characters are themselves not particularly articulate. They’ve all been battered about by life to a degree that they distrust making direct statements about their feelings. This is precisely the manner in which Harper portrays Rosa Lee—her emotions lie beneath the surface and are conveyed in small touches and expressions. It might be overstating the case to say that with Tender Mercies a star was born, but it’s certainly true that something even better took place—an actress was born. It’s a quietly intense performance in a film of unusual intelligence and humanity that more than justifies its reputation as one of the finest films of the 1980s.

Director: Bruce Beresford
Producer: Philip S. Hobel, Robert Duvall, Horton Foote
Writer: Horton Foote
Cinematographer: Russell Boyd
Editor: William Anderson
Production Company: Antron Media Productions, EMI
Cast: Robert Duvall, Tess Harper, Betty Buckley, Wilford Brimley, Ellen Barkin, Allan Hubbard